All I Want for Christmas is Sakura Oneshots!
by pluhsauce
Summary: The Holidays make for an excellent backdrop to all different flavors and takes on romance...a unique kind for each pairing. Sakucentric. Some have heavy lemon, others can be perfectly K-approved.
1. Introduction and Stuff

This is totally me procrastinating on homework I have to do over the break. My AP Language and Composition teacher hates my style of writing (says it's "too opinionated" and that I "misread the articles." Complete bullshit.), so I am really unmotivated to write the 5 page paper due by the 30th.

So…..I complied a nice little collection of one-shots for a lot of Sakura pairings. I favor some waaay more than the others, so I challenged myself by only writing one per couple. [My favorites are probably obvious. Just glance at the hundreds of fics I follow/favorite] I'll leave the rating as M, because a few of these are most likely going to be heavily lemon-ed. Verrry nice.

Well anyway, ENJOY.

Disclaimer: I really don't own the Naruto story/characters/author. If I did, so much of the recent plotline would have never happened, and I would behead everyone who doubts how fucking awesome Sakura is. ;3

1. ChojiSaku

2. HidaSaku

3. KibaSaku

4. SasoSaku

5. ItaSaku

6. SasuSaku

7. KakaSaku

8. GaaSaku

9. SaiSaku

10. NejiSaku

11. MadaSaku

12. DeiSaku

…more? Idk. Request some if you feel like it. I'm posting each as I write it, so this is just the overall plan.


	2. Seasons Eatings: ChojiSaku

**ChojiSaku**

Every day, without fail, he visited her. They've known each other for two whole years, and she was always the first person he went to when his mood needed lifting. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon; it was true love.

Café Mingnon. The only patisserie in all of Konoha, an otherwise culture-less suburb outside of Chicago.

From the chocolate-crème éclairs she was most famous for, to the sinfully thick hot chocolate, it was all sugary and perfect. His favorite, the _, practically made life worth living. (not like he was an emotional eater….)

The owner, a nervous girl named Hinata, had been his friend for years. She was as sweet as the foods she baked, and always gave him little treats for being the most loyal customer you could find.

In short, it was the thing he loved most in the world, more than working with his dad in the family business, more than hanging out with Shikamaru on the weekends, more than his old college professor Asuma.

Until she started working.

Since he came at least once a day, he knew the workers by first name: Ino, Konohamaru, Ten-Ten, so he noticed when someone new started. And when she did, he _definitely _took notice. Her name was Sakura, and she worked part-time to help pay through med school. (Smart _and _pretty) She had waist-length strawberry-blonde hair that in a certain light, looked a pale pink. Her eyes were a pale green, surrounded by a light complexion. To make her even more perfect, she was 5'6" and tiny, except for (not like he noticed or anything..) ample breasts and a generous rear.

It was quite tragic, actually. There she was, some potential swimsuit model, and he was nowhere close. Ever since childhood, he had been quite large. Overweight. Big. Fat. (The labels killed him) After so many kids teasing him, he built up quite the shell, but still never lost the weight. Food was just too good, eh? But in short, he had never told a girl his feelings.

Never had a girlfriend.

Ever.

He stayed home from school dances in high school, and in college, studied in his dorm instead of having one-night stands and going to keggers every night. Girls were just something he could never have, and he thought that way for his whole life.

But he liked her so much, it was almost worth admitting it. (and the shame that would come afterwards. The rejection.)

But his bleak glimpse of opportunity had just arrived; a few days ago, Hinata mentioned in passing how Sakura had just broken up with her boyfriend of 2 years, a Sasu-something or another. If he had any chance, the time was now.

That brings him to the present, strutting with all the confidence he could muster into the shop, a small box secured in his sweaty palms.

The soft melodies of Mariah Carey welcomed him, mixing with the smells of gingerbread and nutmeg.

_All I want for Christmas is you, youuu baby~_

A head of pink caught his eye, ringing up a customer's order at the front, a streak of flour dusting her rosy cheeks.

"Will that be all?" her lofty soprano chimed, bright eyes scanning the cakes the customer was purchasing.

"Well, what I truly want isn't for sale….," the blonde male grinned toothily. "Unless you're free after your shift.."

"Oh shut up, Naruto. No wonder you can't get a girlfriend," she scolded, hitting him lightly over the head. "You need to focus more on school, anyway."

"Whatever you say, Sakura," he whined, paying for his food smoothly before leaving with an energetic wave.

Sakura sighed to herself, getting back to her work of cutting out shapes of stars and bells from a long sheet of white dough. He watched her for a bit, engrossed in her task. She was going to school to be a general surgeon, so her talents sure paid off when she had delicate and precise handiwork to do.

Eventually he stepped up to the counter. Hearing someone approach, she straightened up.

"Oh hey, Choji! Didn't see you there!" she beamed, a bit sheepish. "How are you enjoying your holidays?"

"They're okay. The office is a lot less crowded, so I can get more work done," he muttered, a light blush to his cheeks. She looked at him for a moment, seemingly puzzled.

"Are you still going to work? It's two days before Christmas!" she gaped, utterly scandalized. "Even my university practically closes down around this time, and you know how we get. **–**wink-"

"Yeah," he admitted, his cheeks still rosy. "I wouldn't really have any other way to spend my time."

"Family? Friends? Someone special?" she suggested. He squirmed nervously.

"A-actually, Sakura, I was wondering-"

_Ding!_

She jumped a bit.

"Oh, excuse me, that's the oven. Ino would kill me if I burned the gingerbread right before her shift. The smell would last for at least a few hours," she hastily explained, throwing on the large mittens on the counter next to one of the giant industrial ovens. As she took out each sheet, she continued talking lightly.

"I don't have the heart to tell Hinata that gingerbread is considered Swedish….Oh well. Hopefully people won't care if a French pastry shop sells other things. Funny story, actually. Gingerbread actually originated in Armenia, and was brought over to Europe by the monk Grégoire de Nicopolis when he-"

"Sakura, I got a gift for you," Choji blurted right in the middle of her historical monologue. Her features softened to one of surprised delight.

"Aah, if I knew that, I would have baked you something special!" she lamented. "Before you give anything to me…hold on a sec…"

She disappeared into the back. His heart was pounding frantically, trying to pull together all the courage he had within him. He glanced down at the small package he had hidden in his pocket, a tiny silver box with two green and red ribbons intertwined to secure the gift within. He had spent hours looking for something that would do her justice, and finally he came upon something not gaudy or too cheesy. While that may sound relatively easy to find, around Christmas time it's nearly impossible.

Her reentrance snapped him out of his thoughts, a large red box in her little arms.

"Here," she grinned, obviously proud of herself. She set the box on the counter right in front of him. "I originally made this for a friend, but he doesn't like sweets, so it would've been a waste."

He opened the box carefully, mind more focused on the "friend" subject, but the cake within nearly took his breath away. The overall shape was a large wreath, dark green with various lighter colors showing the leaves' complexity. Shiny gold and silver baubles created out of frosting littered the surface, as well as tiny red candies to represent berries. A large crimson ribbon design sat on top, with the script "Merry Christmas~!" braided along it in sleek cursive.

"Wow, Sakura, I sometimes forget just how talented you are…"

"The inside is vanilla with a red-peppermint swirl. Only one layer so it doesn't fall apart so easily," she grinned. "It's only fair this goes to someone who deserves it."

"Well, the same goes for my present to you," he spoke carefully. "Well, the "deserving" part, anyways.."

He closed the lid the cake box, placing the small package of his own on top. She looked at it quizzically.

"You always work so hard at everything: school, this job, making people happy..you deserve to know how special you are to some people. I know you have practically no free time between the shop and your studies, but I'd really, _really_ like to get to know you better, Sakura."

She opened it to reveal a tiny charm of a cherry blossom on a delicate silver chain. Instantly her eyes opened wide, and her head shot up to look at Choji.

"C-choji, this is…"

"I asked Hinata what your name meant awhile ago. She said your mom was half-Japanese, so she named you after one of the most beautiful things in Japan: a cherry blossom. It fits you."

Her cheeks were a deep red, and she had to bite her lip to suppress girlish giggles of happiness.

He interpreted her nervousness as sardonic amusement. _At least I tried…_He waited for the rejection sure to come.

"I can honestly say this is the nicest thing I've ever gotten for Christmas," she answered sweetly, her genuine smile melting his insides instantly. She scribbled something on the top of the cake box with a nearby pen, then handed it to him to hold onto. He glanced down to see a phone number written down, next to a flourish of her signature and a big heart.

"I don't know how often I can get time off from my crazy schedule, but you would…definitely be worth it," she sheepishly admitted.

"Whenever you can, I'll make sure I can be there," he smiled warmly.

A ring of the front door signaled another customer walking in, marking the end of their conversation. Before he could process, she had leaned over the counter nimbly, placing a quick kiss on his cheek before pocketing her new gift to attend to the next patron.

"Merry Christmas, Choji," she beamed, giving him a wave goodbye.

"You too, Sakura," he replied, walking out into the cold air outside, that spot on his cheek pleasantly warm.


	3. You Never Meet Mary's Parents: HidaSaku

**HidaSaku. Damn title space was too small, and I liked the title I already had...so fuckit.  
><strong>

**[this really only deserves the M rating for the languages. Verry nice.]**

_Ding Dong. Ding Dong._

"What's that, Tsunade? Carolers?"

"Oh fuc- Sakura's here already! Quick, hide the eggnog and Brandy!"

"Don't even bother, she knows you drink in the morning anyways…"

"Come on, work with me, Shizune!"

"Okay, but you still need to get the door!"

The busty blonde woman sprinted to the door, adjusting her loose ponytails before swinging open the door with mammoth strength. Before her stood two young adults, both holding heavy luggage and wearing thick winter coats.

"P-please let us in quickly, Tsunade," the shorter of the two, a pretty strawberry-blonde with big green eyes and a pale complexion, her enviable toned curves hiding underneath all her layers. Her short hair peeked out from under the hood of her coat, and a cute grin was plastered on her face. The man next to her towered above both woman at 6'4". His platinum blonde hair was slicked back, and he was groomed to a very high degree. Not to the point where he was ridiculously flamboyant, but he had the vibe of a pampered male model. He looked over the middle-aged blonde with painful apprehension, which as you can imagine, was not going over well.

"Ah, Sakura-baby. Is this your boyfriend?" the blonde asked, irritation flashing over her well-matured features.

"Yes, this is Hidan," Sakura smiled. "I'm so glad you can finally meet him!"

"Sasuke was a lot more handsome."

The man gritted his teeth, obviously restraining himself.

"_Now, I have to warn you..my Auntie is quite open with her opinions," she admitted nervously."_

_ "What do you mean? I can handle any bitch," he smirked. "If I can put up with you when you're on goddamn period. I'm pretty sure I can deal with anything."_

_ "Oh shut up. The only thing she knows about you is that you convinced me to go to law school. Trust me, she is not excited about that. She's a surgeon, and she wanted me to be one. It doesn't even matter that I have a doctorate in psychology, she's still really bitter about it."_

"_That's stupid. Sounds like a raging cunt."_

"_She also loved Sasuke to death."_

"_Your ex? That fucking pussy who broke up with you because his parents made him?"_

"_Okay, seriously? At least _try_ to be a little sensitive, asshole. We dated from 6__th__ grade to our Senior year of college. We were practically married."_

"_Still sounds like a dick."_

"_SO…in short, you need to be on your absolute best behavior. I wrote a list for you. Follow this, and you at least stand a chance."_

_**1. Absolutely no swearing**_

_**2. Do not, under any circumstances, make any bets or gamble**_

_**3. Button up your shirts like a normal guy**_

_**4. No outright sexual advances on me**_

_**5. Do not comment on her large breast size**_

_**6. Nothing perverted at all, seriously**_

_**7. Offer to help with chores and stuff**_

_**8. BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR**_

"_I forget how much of a bitch you can be."_

"_Hidan. I don't think you fully understand how important this is. If you mess up, I swear to god I will rip out your trachea and choke you with it."_

"…"

"_And then I'll date your hot friend that always hits on me."_

"_Sasori? Come on, Sakura, you know I'm fucking sexy. You'd never leave me."_

"_We'll see," she giggled evilly._

"Um, Tsunade, how 'bout we come in? I brought a lot of presents and decorations for your new house to replace the ones Jariaya and Naruto broke," the girl proposed, softening the atmosphere a bit.

"Of course, darling. I prepared your rooms, so you should unpack your things."

"_Rooms_?" the man asked, confused as to why the couple would sleep apart.

"Well, I would encourage Sasuke to sleep next to my lovely Sakura, but in your case, I believe separate rooms would fit nicely," she said with saccharine sweetness. "Hidan, you'll be sleeping in the room right below the attic, the last door to the left side of the hallway on the third floor. Sakura, you can have your old room. On the _first floor_."

Hidan suppressed a growl of anger.

Sakura coughed lightly, an obvious warning for him to calm down.

"That's perfect, Tsunade. We'll get moved in right away."

* * *

><p>The air at the dinner table was tense, all eyes on Tsunade and Hidan, shooting discrete death glares. Shizune, a soft-spoken woman in her late twenties, gently cleared her throat.<p>

"So, uh..Sakura! How has work been for you?" she sweetly asked, trying to change the atmosphere. "I understand you are very successful so far."

"Eh, yes. My doctorate really helps open up opportunities. I'm the most requested lawyer at my office," Sakura proudly admitted. She worked damn hard through school, and it was all paying off.

"How has your career been going, Hidan?" Tsunade inquired, her tone harsh.

"I'm still finishing up law school. I'm not as nerdy as Sakura, over here," he chuckled, nudging his girlfriend in the side a bit.

"And how many years older than her are you?"

"Four….," he admitted, glaring at her to be stop her train of thought.

"So she was five years ahead in school than you."

"Oh come on, it's not fair to compare me to a genius! She graduated law school AND college a year early, and already had skipped three grades before then!"

"Sasuke had skipped three grades as well. That's how they met each other, in fact."

Sakura pretended to have a coughing-attack into her napkin.

"This dinner is lovely, Tsunade. Your cooking has improved so much over the years," Sakura smiled, miraculously better from her minute sickness. "The soup is excellent. Seriously!"

Her aunt glanced down at the table, from the giant bowls of Turkey herb soup, to the giant pot of stuffing, to the steaming plate of cornbread. She shrugged.

"I don't know, Jiraya came over and made it for us earlier. He's only good for porn and cooking. He's practically the ideal woman."

Hidan's eyes widened.

"Wait, Jiraya? The famous smut writer?" he asked excitedly. Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And how would you know of him, _sweetie_?" she hissed, making it clear he was under intense scrutiny. "Certainly you haven't read any of his _filth_…"

"—He heard of him through Naruto!" Sakura blurted nervously. "I swear to god, Naruto blabs about it all the time. You can't help but remember him after that!"

"Hmmm….makes sense, I suppose."

Awkward silence .

"We all seem done now," Shizune quipped, motioning to the half-eaten plates in front of everyone. "I'll clear the table so we can have desert!"

Hidan leaned over to Sakura, hand to her ear.

"Why don't you call Tsunade 'Auntie' to her face?" he whispered rather loudly. Luckily, Tsunade didn't appear to overhear.

"She doesn't like being reminded of her age," Sakura quietly responded. "If you ever mention it, you will suffer massive physical injury."

They all absent-mindedly watched Shizune clear the table, replacing their plates with mugs and small napkins.

"I'll go get the food and coffee," she gently spoke.

As she disappeared into the kitchen, Sakura smiled softly.

"I've forgotten how much like Hinata she is," she said, more to Tsunade. Hidan nodded.

"Yeah, except Hinata is a lot more develo-," he started, before feeling a sharp pain on his foot. Sakura's smile was forced and wide.

Awkward silence.

Shizune finally reentered, balancing a giant metal container on top of a giant box. She placed each gently on the table before pouring everyone's coffee.

"Now, tonight's desert is very special," Tsunade grinned. "Sasuke actually stopped by early this morning and dropped it off. He would've stayed to visit, but he had to leave for a business trip to France."

"I know how you love France, Sakura dearie. He offered to fly you out there if you wished," she commented.

"SO, let's open up this thing!" Hidan interjected, rather overenthusiastically.

Shizune pulled open the top, revealing a very decadently decorated cake. Clouds and piles of frosting and candy cake designs covered the thing. It was perfect. Way to perfect just to "drop off", Hidan subtly noticed.

Sakura picked up the card skeptically, reading aloud.

"_To the most beautiful woman in the world and her lovely family. May you have a wonderful and fulfilling holiday_

_P.S. Your gifts shall arrive Christmas Morning, don't worry_

_Love, Sasuke Uchiha"_

"That is so cheesy," Hidan growled.

"Shut. Up," Tsunade commanded before continuing in a sweet voice. "Sakura, baby. He has been asking about you very frequently for the past month. Ever since you got your law degree, his family has realized you would make a wonderful asset. Imagine the opportunity!"

"Auntie. I told you awhile ago that I have no interest in someone who follows their family's every request. I have done very well-off without him, and I really don't care what he thinks ," she quietly responded, heavy irritation laced with every word.

"Perhaps I should cut it now?" Shizune offered nimbly. Without anyone's response, she began serving everyone a generous slice. Hidan squeezed Sakura's thigh under the table for quiet support. She would definitely be ranting about this later. As they all bit into the sugary confection bite by bite, Hidan could feel rage bubbling within him.

This guy needed to die.

_Shit,_ he thought to himself. _I promised Sakura I wouldn't get involved with the old gang anymore. _Another thought flashed through his mind. _Yeah…and that douche is Itachi's younger brother. I doubt he would carry out _that _job…hah._

As he came back to attention, he noticed everyone was done except him.

"Aren't you going to eat?," Tsunade asked. "Don't tell me you're one of those guys who diet…"

"Sorry," he grinned, throwing caution to the wind. "I'm not hungry for bullshit. Great coffee, though!"

The things he does for Sakura's pride….

* * *

><p>"This is your last chance at redemption," Sakura hissed, sitting on the floor next to him, a massive pile of presents obstructing most of her view. Apparently, her old friends from this area still believed in Christmas. He glanced down at his presents to her, feeling a bit nervous at the thought of her comparing them to others.<p>

_Shit. Didn't Sasuke say that he was sending some?_ He panicked.

Tsunade and Shizune both went successfully, actually enjoying Hidan's presents for them. He had spent hours with Sakura in a crowded mall, picking out the perfect things for them. (He really didn't care that much about presents, but he understood girls took it pretty seriously)

2 pounds of white peach tea for Shizune, from the super-fancy place, Teavana. **[side note: I bought loose tea from there yesterday: 8.2 ounces of Samurai Chai Mate mixed with White Ayurvedic Chai. **_**Super**_** delicious, but holyfuck $35 with tax. I spent 35 fucking dollars on tea. ]**

For Tsunade, a set of three business suits custom-made for her size. Nevermind the fact that Sakura happened to have her measurements was pretty weird, but the woman didn't seem to notice/care.

Now for all of Sakura's gifts. There were a fuckton.

Dozens of giftcards, sets of lotions and herbal skin stuff, coffee beans, and clothes. Tsunade, of course, had gotten her a "practice surgery kit", which to be truthful, sounded more aimed towards psychopaths and serial killers. Shizune had purchased a set of "designer" makeup, by Dee-ore, something or another.

But now the final judgment time had come.

His presents.

He nudged her to open the big box first, which she opened with a slight blush of embarrassment. There was the entire Twilight book series [collector's edition], all autographed by the author. She squealed, giving him a bone-crushing hug.

"Feeding her teen romance addiction, I see," Tsunade commented, trying to sound bitter, but actually hiding an appreciative smile. Seems Hidan has been getting on her good side, for some god-knows-what reason.

The second, the tiny box, was opened gently, made her narrow her eyes in confusion. All that was in it was a note and her camcorder (that she owned..).

_Expecting jewelry? Not this year!_ _But play the most recent video._

She turned it on and pressed play, Hidan popping up on the screen.

_I know you always get super excited when you see babies and puppies, and since I don't think you remotely have time to pop out a kid, here ya go! _Then the camera shifted to a small dog bed, a tiny light-brown puppy curled up in a little ball. It's eyes slowly opened towards the camera, an adorable pale blue.

"" Sakura cried, jumping on him to give him a hug even tighter than before. "Oh my god, I have to think of names…This is going to be so exciting!"

"You're welcome," he grinned, enjoying her perfectly enamored face. She was always so adorable when she was excited.

_Ding-dong._

"Who's at the door on Christmas day?" Tsunade irritatingly responded. She got up and opened it begrudgingly, only to be welcomed by three delivery men trying to hold up dozens of gold-wrapped presents.

"Those must be the presents Sasuke sent," Shizune said, watching the workers place them on the floor before leaving with rehearsed "Merry Christmas" wishes. Sasuke must have certainly pulled some strings, since UPS and Fedex were closed today.

Instead of taking turns, since there was so much, the three women tried their best to dive through quickly. Since Hidan obviously didn't have anything from Sasuke to unwrap, he just watched Sakura. She threw the cards aside, saying something along the lines of 'I'll read them when I need a laugh later.'

20 fucking boxes.

The first, she opened with a look uncertainty, pulling out a pile of what had to be ten pairs of Victoria's Secret Lacie thongs, which, while being her favorite kind of underwear, was mildly disturbing to be opening from an ex-boyfriend.

The second: edible massage oils.

The third: a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs and leg restraints.

"This is getting wildly disconcerting," she muttered. Hidan was completely quiet.

The rest ranged from ridiculously-overpriced corsets from Agent Provocateur, to waterproof lubricants, to string-based lingerie that seemed like a puzzle to put on. Sakura stuffed them all in the original boxes before Tsunade could see, and Hidan helped pile them in a corner so she could "get rid of them later."

* * *

><p>The rest of the stay went nicely, Hidan and Sakura leaving the next day with warm smiles from Shizune and pseudo-acceptance from Tsunade. (She made sure to whisper in his ear before they left: <em>I swear to god, if you disappoint or break up with her, I know drugs that kill you without a trace.<em>)

And as he backed out of the driveway, everything packed in the backseat and trunk, Sakura gave his shoulder a gentle rub of appreciation.

"You really pulled it together for the most part," she grinned, obviously immensely proud of him. "We might just have to come back for Easter."

"I think I might need fucking longer than that to recuperate after dealing with all that shit," he growled, eyes on the road. "I don't think I've ever been so scared for my life for that long."

"Oh come on, I lasted 15 years with her, she's not _that _bad…."

"Whatever you say…"

"Well, you will definitely be rewarded and then some," she huskily replied, giving him a wink. "Only 30 more minutes till we get home."

A box hit her head when he took a rather sharp turn, making her wonder what was inside. The package looked familiar..

"Hidan, did you keep all that shit Sasuke sent?" she asked carefully.

"Well, let's just say it certainly won't go to waste," he smirked, earning a deep blush from Sakura.

"Oh god…"

"Yeah, you can practice saying that."

"Stop it!"

"I'm not sure you'll be saying _that_..."

* * *

><p><em>This is Sasuke's phone, please leave a message after the beep.<em>

_* Beeeeep. *_

_Hey, Sas-gay…This is Sakura's fucking sexy boyfriend, and lemme tell you, all those gifts you sent her sure went to good use. Really, reeeally good use. Thanks for that! Though you should've included some cough-drops or some shit like that. Her voice has been suuuuper hoarse, so we have to calm down until it gets better. Bye!_

* * *

><p><em>[le fin]<em>

**Okay, so I just finished my paper. Literally. 20 minutes ago. I am going to write SO much in the next day, you have no idea. I am finishing this thing [at least the chapters I propsed..heh.].  
><strong>


	4. Felix Naughty Dog: KibaSaku

**I am having so much fun thinking up titles for these stories. (Why am I so funny, seriously) I wrote this pretty quickly, so there are sure to be typos, but my friend Bailey has been bugging me about KibaSaku for like, the past 2 months. (That girl sure likes herself some Inuzuka man-meat)**

**Also, the next chapter of this is SasoSaku AND IT WILL BE REALY DIRTY SO SHEILD YOUR EYES IF YOU THINK IT IS NECESSARY.**

**Disclaimer: yeah**

* * *

><p>They looked the perfect couple, cuddling with such a sweet intimacy that any onlooker would feel intrusive. The girl, a skinny twenty-something with short strawberry-blonde hair held back in a crimson headband, was scribbling things in a leather-bound notebook, pretty features scrunched in concentration. Her lover, tan and muscular, sighed, stroking her hair remorsefully.<p>

"Do you have to do that _now_? You're on break! You shouldn't be worried over work…" he grumbled, nuzzling his face into her soft neck.

"But it's important!" she defended. "This patient's body is rejecting a plasma donation from his identical twin brother! It doesn't make sense and-"

"…and Shizune's working over the Holidays. Correct?"

"…yes," she admitted sheepishly.

"So leave it to her. You deserve a rest, Saku-baby" he whispered soothingly into the junction between her neck and shoulder, giving her shivers.

"Says you, the biggest slacker in the world.."

"Oh come on, you know that's only because you take priority over everything else in my life." He grinned.

"Ugh, Kiba. You know I hate when you say cheesy stuff like that," she complained, trying to push him off and salvage her notebook at the same time.

"But it's true~" he sing-songed, running his hands down her sweater-clad upper body. He gripped the bottom hem tightly, ready to lift it up before he…

_I'M A..SLAAAAAAVE FOR YOU. I CANNOT HIDE IT. I CANNOT DENY IT. I'M A…SLAAAAAAAAVE FOR Y—_

He growled disapprovingly before pulling out his phone in order to find out who interrupted. (and hopefully try not to kill them)

"What?" he gruffly asked without asking for a name. He was quiet for a bit.

"Choji, seriously. I can't understand a word you're saying. If you drunk-dialed me, I swear to god I will—WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" his eyes widened enormously as he slumped down into the couch, effectively ignoring his pouting wife. "Holy shit, man! Congratulations!"

Sakura nudged him gently, also wanting to hear the news. After a few minutes, he hung up and turned to face her with one of his trademark grins.

"Guess what?" he exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"What?" she grumbled, only to have Kiba wrap her in a bone-crushing hug.

"INO AND CHOJI ARE HAVING A BABY!"

"You think I didn't know that already?" she huffed out, pushing him off. "Ino's my best friend. I was the one she dragged to the store to buy all her stupid pregnancy tests, and I had to be the one to wait outside her bathroom door while she peed on them."

"Why so grumpy, Sakura?" Kiba smirked, sending her a heated look that made her insides melt. "Jealous?"

She blinked.

"Of what?"

"That Ino's preggers…duh…"

"You think I want to be pregnant?!" she said sharply, forcing herself not to shriek the words.

"Well babies _are_ really cute~!" Kiba cooed. "And we're both so attractive that our kids would be seriously hot."

"Aah, for now, our gametes will remain separated, thankyouverymuch," she said sternly, calming herself down.

"Sakura, I have no idea what that means, but you know I love when you talk all doctor-like. It makes me get dirty ideas of-"

"It means I'm not jealous of her."

Silence.

"Okay."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"So…I'm gonna go see if the pizza's done," Kiba said, getting up to go to the kitchen, and leaving Sakura with wink and a lot to think about.

Once he was gone, she let out a sigh. _A baby? We've been married for 5 months and he wants a baby? _

_Wait…he didn't ask me straight-out. Maybe he was joking?_

_Oh god I hope he was._

* * *

><p>She hadn't been waiting long at Barstucks until Ino arrived. (It's a shame; she had brought a book to read) As her blonde friend slumped into the chair on the other side of the table, Sakura slid over the drink she had bought for her beforehand: her usual Skinny Vanilla Latte….with 2 extra shots of espresso.<p>

"How have you been doing?" Sakura asked carefully, taking in the dark circles underneath Ino's bloodshot eyes.

"Not good," Ino sighed. "It's just work, though. Dad doesn't want the other employees to think he's going easy on me, so he's really been piling on the projects."

"Doesn't he know about the baby? All that stress isn't healthy," Sakura frowned. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Nah, I'm waiting to tell him."

Sakura almost spat out black coffee on herself.

"You haven't told your own father yet!?" she said as loudly as she could without scaring the other patrons in the shop.

"I will eventually….(insert accusing glare from Sakura)…after I name it," Ino smiled warmly.

"But you don't know the sex."

Ino failed to suppress a giggle.

"You are so immature," Sakura glared. "You know.._gender_?"

"Pick a name for each, duh," Ino explained before plopping a monstrous dictionary-like book onto the tabletop.

_50,000 Baby Names and Their Meaning: Vital for Every Savvy Mom-to-be! _

"This is ridiculous," Sakura gaped.

"No," Ino corrected. "_This _is what we will be doing for the next two hours."

"You better be kidding me."

She wasn't.

* * *

><p>She met up with Kiba at the nearby grocery store hours later, her shoulders slumped and the caffeine buzz well gone.<p>

"Rough day socializing?" Kiba joked, already pushing a half-full cart. "Not used to having free time?"

"Shut up," Sakura groaned. "Being a best friend is hard. I looked at baby names for _hours_. Literally."

"See any that you liked?"

She froze, and he stopped comparing the ripeness of the apples he was holding to shoot her a funny look .

"You know, did you guys decide what to name the bun in Ino's oven?"

"Oh. Uh. No. Um..not yet," Sakura stammered. She then glanced down at her phone, expression scrunched in concentration. "Ugh. It's already 5pm.."

"5pm?" Kiba gaped. "We need to hurry, then. I have to call Lee at 6 to see how Tenten's doing."

"Is she sick?" Sakura asked, worried.

"Nah, she's in the last week of her pregnancy."

"…"

"Hopefully the baby doesn't inherit Lee's freaky eyebrows."

They pulled innocently into the checkout aisle, with Kiba leading the way. (being the one pushing the cart and all) As he chatted animatedly with the old man ringing up their food, Sakura heard a noise.

*gurgle*

Her eyes narrowed.

*goo-goo-gaa-gaa*

She flipped her head to the side to see a woman at the adjacent register, holding a baby that was looking right. Into. Her. Soul. Once it saw that she was looking, the baby cooed louder, a big grin on its chubby cheeks.

Sakura covertly nudged Kiba to hurry up before she heard it again.

*mah-mah*

*mah-mah*

A family had pulled in behind them in line, complete with a young toddler with big brown eyes that never left Sakura's.

_This is a horror movie. I am going to die now._

Seeing that all their food was paid for, Sakura grabbed as many bags as possible before running out the store, leaving Kiba with the command: "hurry up or I'll leave you forever!"

(Don't worry. He did hurry up.)

(Eventually.)

* * *

><p>Now that they were at home, she relaxed, knowing that she was safe from a world of drool and diapers. Kiba, even though he was still worried, agreed to talk to Lee in another room, so Sakura didn't even have to <em>hear<em> the word "baby." (She didn't tell him the reason. She really didn't want him to think she was insane. Because she was just being perfectly normal. Right?)

Alone in the living room, she picked up the mail happily, in hopes of seeing the issue of "Mosmopolitan Cagazine" that she so desperately needed to use as therapy. Nothing like articles about "8 New Ways to Orgasm" and "45.2 Reasons to Buy Designer Jeans" to improve your mood!

Thankfully, it had arrived, so without even looking at the cover in detail, she flipped open to a random page so she could sit and read on the couch.

Oh.

My.

Dear.

God.

_December's Naughty Challenge: The Best 134 Positions to Get Pregnant With!_

"KIIIBBBBA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I'M LEAVING FOR THE MALL I'LL BE LATER OHMYGODBUTIAMLEAVINGRIGHTTHI SSECOND!"

As soon as he heard her yank on her coat, grab her purse with a death-grip, and leave, Kiba stuck his head of the door of their room. Apparently he wasn't using the phone like he said. However, he grabbed his cell phone immediately, and knew the exact number to dial.

"Ino…I think it worked. You are definitely going to be the godmother."

* * *

><p>About 30 minutes later, Sakura opened the door to the apartment looking calm and collected. When she walked in, Kiba looked up from his laptop with a big grin on his face.<p>

"Was that one of your 'I-have-a-big-decision-to-think-about' walks?"

She nodded. "And it was very eye-opening."

He bit back an excited scream.

"Kiba, we've been together forever..(he nodded frantically)..and I think it's time to deepen our relationship."

"I completely agree," he responded, wanting her to continue quickly.

"And now, since we're already married, the only logical thing to do is….."

"I KNEW IT!" he yelped, not able to control himself. "OHMYGOD. You definitely picked out a name. What will we name it? Ino told me that she knew you wanted this, even if you never said it out loud, she said she could see it in your eyes, and OMG I'm not good at girl things so I trusted her and SHE WAS RIGHT. OMG!"

"Its name will be Cuddles!" she smiled.

He froze.

"What?"

She reached into the large bag at her side that he hadn't really noticed before, pulling out something light and fluffy.

"The cat, silly! The cat will be named Cuddles!" she laughed, now holding a small tabby kitten in her arms.

"_You bought a cat?"_

"Yeah."

"That's what you did in that time?"

"Yupp!"

"I thought…well..um…nevermind," he muttered, dropping his head in shame before narrowing his eyes at the phone in his hands.

"Is something wrong?" she asked innocently, rubbing the kitten's ear with her gloved fingers.

"No, I'll be back in a second," he growled. "I have a pig to call."

After he left, Sakura smirked devilishly, delicately placing the cat down (so it could explore their small apartment) so she could take out her own phone.

"You're right, Kakashi," she said quietly. "Your idea _totally_ worked."

* * *

><p><strong>It's too late to wish y'all a Merry Christmas, but make sure to have a crazy New Year! I'll be leaving for Florida soon, so I will be writing a lot…but I won't be able to upload all of it until after Winter Break (most likely).<strong>

**If you're craving some more MultiSaku action, go ahead and read my "School Days" fic! Or, if you already do, I'll give you a little clue for some of the drama in the next chapter: something is stolen that can't be given back. ;)**

**BYE NOW GUYZ.**


	5. Pure as the Driven Slush: SasoSaku

**I made a few New Year's Resolutions and one was to write more frequently, so hopefully I can stick to that. (Other resolutions include being able to bench more, putting more effort into school, and getting down to 120lbs…oh god.)**

**This chapter has some pretty risqué stuff. Hopefully y'all like that.**

**Dislcaimer: I do not owwwn**

* * *

><p>"I hate my life," the strawberry-blonde girl sighed, plopping dramatically on the couch. The man next to her, a handsome face with dark auburn hair, rose an eyebrow delicately.<p>

"I'm guessing this isn't my fault?" he joked, pulling her legs across his lap so he could gently massage her stress away. (and possibly lead on to _other _things..)

"No..it's this stupid class reunion," she grumbled, kicking her heels off so he could rub those as well. "In 3 months, I'll be 'reuniting' with all those kids I went to high school with. Which, may I add, were not the most pleasant days of my life."

"But we met when you were in high school," he frowned.

"Come on, Sasori. We met at Sasuke's graduation party. I had graduated 2 days before."

"—and you were 18," he winked, earning a deep blush from his girlfriend of 5 years.

"Shut up! No one else knows about _that_!" she said frantically, looking around as if someone was listening in their cozy apartment.

"Sasuke would never look at that bed the same.."

She covered his mouth with her hand, sending a pouty glare his way.

"He'll be at the reunion. Tell him yourself," she grumbled sarcastically.

"Oh, so you can bring a date?" he grinned. "Little Miss Sakura, dating a 33 year old CEO."

She giggled. "Sasuke and Naruto would shit themselves."

"When were you planning on telling them? At our wedding?" he chuckled. She blushed lightly.

"Maybe." There was a silence, only brokwn by a soft purr of pleasure due to Sasori hitting a particularly sensitive spot on her heel.

"So the reunion is why you're in a bad mood?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "I need to lose ten pounds to show up Ino."

He dropped her foot immediately, looking at her with a mix of shock and confusion.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I need to lose weight."

"That is _such_ a woman answer. You have the perfect body already."

"But I can be better."

"No."

"Yes."

"You'll lose some of your boobs," he complained.

"They grew too much in college anyways."

"But I like your boobs."

"I know," she smiled impishly. "You still aren't changing my mind about this."

"You already get to brag about being at Harvard Medical school and having a rich, gorgeous boyfriend who was on the cover of Time Magazine's 'Young Men of Business' issue," he smirked. "Isn't that enough?"

"No."

Scowl.

"Maybe I _won't_ go as your date," he threatened, half-serious.

"Then I'll bring Deidara and pretend he's my boyfriend."

Glare.

"You know, your friend that professed his love for me."

Growl.

"Twice."

He climbed over to her, nuzzling her neck softly in attempts of influencing her decision.

"But you chose me" he whispered into her neck.

"Or I can bring Kiba! He _did_ try to kiss me that one time…"

Angry hiss.

"Also, didn't Itachi swear that I was the only woman he'd ever touch?"

"Well he's sure missing out," he grinned wolfishly, then beginning a sensual assault on the exposed skin. Her breath quickened.

He pushed her down on her back, hovering over her as he moved to her mouth, hands roaming her toned curves.

The doorbell rang, and he swore quietly.

She sprung up instantaneously, throwing him off.

"That must be my Nutrisystem!" she squealed.

"Your _what_?"

"This diet program that a tooon of celebrities have done," she bubbled, reaching the door and taking the package from the now-blushing deliveryman.

As the door closed, he scowled, still sitting on the couch. "I forbid it."

She stuck her tongue out. "Too late now!"

As she started to open the large box and take out the contents, he walked over to look, wincing with every yelp of excitement she made when she opened a package.

"I am so totally showing up that bitch! She'll probably gain a bunch of weight over the Holidays, but I'll do the opposite!"

With a reluctant grumble, Sasori eventually helped her place the imitation food in the pantry, though he was admittedly rather irritated at his lover's lack of self-confidence.

That one pop song that always played on the radio popped into his head.

_You don't know, oh oh. You don't know you're beautiful…_

Suddenly a finger trailing slowly down his spine broke him out of the one direction his mind was following.

"Sasori, sweetie. Please don't forget where we left off," she cooed into his ear. He could practically hear the devilish smirk on her rosy cheeks.

"Are you trying to seduce me, little girl?" he asked playfully, a corner of his mouth raised in amusement. He heard her huff in frustration before she grabbed his hand to pull him into their bedroom roughly. Before he could assert any sort of dominance, she pushed him onto the Queen-sized maroon sheets with a smile.

Needless to say, he forgot what they had been arguing about.

She straddled him confidently, fingering the hem of her sweater teasingly until he ripped it off with a low growl. However, his breath left him with her breasts bounced out completely bare.

"Sakura, were you wearing a bra at all today?" he asked slowly.

"Nope!" she assured, unbuttoning his black shirt with a cheerful grin. "And…"

"I'm not wearing panties either," she hotly whispered into his ear, his torso now bare and open to her attacks of dull scratches and playful rubs.

He lifted her off of him quickly in order to pull off his remaining clothes, hungrily watching her do the same and revealing a toned hourglass that he ad practically memorized over the past five years.

She stared at his lap hungrily, bending down to kneel at the foot of the bed with him sitting on the edge, practically reading his dirty mind. Brushing a finger lightly over his tip, she giggled to herself.

"You get excited so easily~"

"Only for you," he smirked, tracing her lips before devouring them with his own. Their tongues battled fiercely, strangled gasps escaping from Sakura as Sasori took the opportunity to squeeze her breasts tightly, kneading them with his large hands. She pushed him off in response, frowning.

"I've already decided it's your turn first, so none of that!" she pouted before grabbing his length without hesitation.

"I'm all yours," he managed to gasp out. Her mood brightened at that.

As she trailed her fingers up and down, she left delicate butterfly kisses on his inner thighs, leaving him twitching with anticipation. She blew hot air on him with her open mouth before meeting him with a hard suck, tightly enveloping him with her mouth and causing him to fist the bedsheets.

While she trust him in with a swift rocking motion, she hummed gently, vibrating around him as she used her hands to pump the bottom of his shaft.

"Fuck, Sakura. Are you_ trying_ to keep me from lasting long?" he growled, fisting her hair to slow her down. Instead she increased her tempo rapidly, looking at him with eyes full of mirth.

All it took was one particularly intense motion to do him in, shooting liquid into her mouth and watching her greedily take in every drop. To make sure he would be ready for more, she kept licking him until he rose up again.

She stood up quickly with a grin, causing her breasts to bounce enticingly, stealing his gaze.

"Good?" she asked, already knowing the answer as she lowered slightly onto his lap, his shaft inches away from her entrance.

"What do you think, you little minx?" he replied, nuzzling her generous breasts and enjoying her flushed skin. She could already feel her leaking onto his thighs and the warmth filled him with masculine pride.

He fell back onto the bed, pulling her with him and kissing her roughly, tongue meeting hers instantly. With one hand he grabbed her ass tightly while the other tweaked her nipples to make her moan loudly into him. When she lifted her head away, he made sure to brush his fingers against her lower lips, making her shiver.

"Now stay still," she commanded, raising her hips to finally plunge him within her. As she descended, she leaned forward and swiveled her hips in a circular motion, increasing the friction. Then, when he was fully sheathed, she grinded forward and back in a circular motion before slowly spiraling up to repeat the process.

The need for release was consuming, and the tension was built to suffocating amounts. She stared into his half-lidded eyes as he took in her smoldering gaze.

He used a hand to prop his torso up as she continued her corkscrew-like pattern, allowing him to devour her lips to join them further.

When he had first met Sakura, the first thing that had struck him was her beauty. She was soft and pretty, with an air of innocence that instantly marked her as forbidden to the sort of man that he was. However, he just hadn't been able to help himself, for that very night he worked his hardest to seduce her. He nearly died of shock when she began seducing back.

Sakura's naughty side only surfaced for a few select people, (According to her, only him and Hugh Jackman) so their little trysts in the bedroom were deliciously secret. Though at times he felt the urge to brag to his friends (gotta assert the dominance somehow..), it felt better to keep it to himself. But sometimes it was rather jarring, how she could be such a confident seductress with him but so self-conscious anywhere else.

Now, after they finished and collapsed in a tangle of sweaty limbs, he decided right then and there that he would do anything in his power to get her confidence up for that stupid reunion….without helping her lose those stupid 10 pounds that she didn't need to lose.

"Yay! On top, I probably burn at least 300 calories!' she cried out happily, being the first to recover. His face scrunched in confusion. (After all, he was still swimming in an orgasmic haze)

"What?"

"You. Me. Naked. Calories are spent," she explained, eyes glowing. He narrowed his eyes.

He was about to open his mouth to tell her she shouldn't be burning a bunch of calories….then he realized it would make him sound like he didn't want sex.

Looks like he'd need other methods of persuasion.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sakura woke to the smell of gingerbread wafting throughout the house.<p>

Well that was weird. Sasori didn't cook.

Half-expecting to find some weird burglar that broke into people's baking supplies, she walked into the kitchen, instead seeing a shirtless Sasori kneading a large lump of brown on the counter. Flour was streaked across his cheeks and torso, and his face was uncharacteristically scrunched in concentration.

Her mouth went dry.

"What's all of this?" she asked, making him look over at her.

"It's the Holidays, right? I thought we'd get into the spirit this year?" he explained innocently, gesturing to the dozens of cookies he had already made, steaming and hot on the kitchen table.

Just waiting to be eaten.

Just waiting to be eaten by a certain 23 year old girl.

_That's right, Sakura. Take a cookie. Eat one. Come on, screw the diet…Wouldn't you rather eat things made by your sexy boyfriend? You wouldn't want to offend him.._

She moved slowly towards the table, making him excited (_Too easy_), but instead, she bypassed the cookies completely and went to pull out some of that blasted diet food from the pantry.

Oh yeah, she had quite the strong willpower. He had forgotten about that.

She gave him a innocent kiss on the cheek, but he knew that it was secretly in triumph. Damn woman.

We'll try this again.

* * *

><p>"Look, Sakura! Candy canes!"<p>

"Oh, no thanks. I just drank some Diet Coke. It'd taste awful."

* * *

><p>"I bought you some Anko dumplings from that one Japanese place!"<p>

"Well, they'll make a nice dinner for you, I suppose."

* * *

><p>"Instead of going jogging, we should go see a movie and make out in the back."<p>

"No thanks, sorry!"

* * *

><p>"So I heard that vegetable are actually bad for your weight.."<p>

* * *

><p>"Please eat some dessert?"<p>

* * *

><p>"You can't do this forever, you know."<p>

* * *

><p>Okay, now this was his last try. For the past few days, he had tried everything, from covering every surface in the apartment with foods and sweets to hiding Sakura's jogging shoes, but nothing had worked. Now, he would implement his most desperate plan, one that he had nicknamed "candy-dick."<p>

….The name wasn't important.

So there he stood in the kitchen, completely nude and covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Sakura would be home any second.

He took in a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair absent-mindedly, only to frown when some chocolate stuck to the strands.

The things he does for this woman.

Suddenly, the doorknob twisted around, prompting him to quickly get in position: casually (but sexily) leaned against the kitchen counter with a devilishly sensuous smirk.

Sakura entered without looking towards him, closing the door behind her while grumbling something about "damn blondes and their scheduling issues."

When she raised up her head and saw him, her face froze, eyes wide and mouth open.

A few seconds passed before she promptly burst out laughing.

Now, Sasori had expected many different reactions, (most with Sakura jumping him instantly) but this was not one of them. He was a proud man by nature, and being laughed at certainly did not sit well with him. His sexy gaze turned into more of a murderous glare as he waited for her to compose herself.

"S-Sasori," she managed to gasp out between giggles. "Did you do this, j-just because of the diet thing?"

"I think it's pretty damn obvious," he growled, ignoring the whipped cream sliding down his thighs.

"I'll have to admit, this is an impressive show of effort," she admitted, causing him to scowl more. "But I'm afraid it is now useless."

His thoughts stopped. "What?"

"Ino decided the reunion was too close to the Holidays, so she's moving it to July," Sakura explained, eyes not leaving Sasori's covered body while she spoke. "Probably just to give herself time to diet, that lazy pig."

"So…this," Sasori growled out slowly. "Was all…for nothing?"

"Well I'm certainly not going to start up this diet stuff until May, at least."

He started to walk away, presumably to take a shower, but she stopped him, running her finger down his chest and sucking the sugary substances off.

"That means I can fully enjoy your little present for me, eh?" she said huskily, fully ready to devour him until he stopped her by squeezing her wrist in a tight grip, leading her towards the counter where the can of whipped cream and bowl of melted chocolate lay.

"W-What are you doing?" Sakura asked nervously, struggling a bit against him. He glanced down at her body with a frown before locking eyes.

"Well, now I think _I'm _the one that deserves a treat," he said simply before ripping off her clothes to ready her for the onslaught of cream and chocolate.

* * *

><p><strong>Whooo~! The next chapter will probably be up tomorrow, because it's a nice ItaSaku, which I hold very dear to my heart. The SasuSaku after that will come sometime this week. Maybe even tomorrow as well! <strong>

**While I was writing this, I totally binged on some German Chocolate cake. Dammit. Hopefully Sakura can lend me some of her willpower so I can eat healthy from now on.**


	6. Don't Be So Santa-mental: ItaSaku

**Oh my god. I've listened to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" probably 20 times in the past two hours. Between that and T-swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble," I think I've filled my quota of sappy heartbreak songs today.**

**PS: I outlined most of the remaining chapters of this. But if you want anything else, just tell me! So far who's left: Sasuke, Kakashi, Gaara, Sai, Neji (RIP babycakes), Madara, Deidara, Shikamaru, Pein, Shisui, and Shi.**

* * *

><p>The two teenagers entered the ski resorthotel inconspicuously, with hoods up and luggage in tow. The lodge was ridiculously grandiose, leftover Christmas decorations still hanging from the wooden rafters. The shorter of the two, of slight build and hunched over slightly, sighed dramatically.

"Why are you insisting that we sneak in, Sasuke?" she grumbled, casting fleeting glances around to look for whatever unknown terror the Uchiha was avoiding. "I thought your mom loved me? Wouldn't she want to greet us?"

"I got a text from her this morning," he scowled, handsome features partially hidden underneath his jacket. He pulled his eyePhone from his pocket and handed it to the girl.

_**Sasuke-**_

_**Just to let you know, Itachi will be able to come this year! Isn't that exciting? He said that he was very glad to see you after so long. Tell Sakura too, because I'm sure she'll be thrilled! Hearts and kisses! xxoo**_

_**-Mom**_

The girl gaped, her hood flying off and revealing bright strawberry-blonde hair and a doll-like complexion.

"What the fuck!?" she whispered harshly, her mood as sour as her expression.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"You couldn't tell me this earlier?!"

"Well then you probably wouldn't come. And that would be a hassle," he explained with a twinge of sheepishness. (Even though Uchihas don't get embarrassed, dontchaknow)

"You bet your ass I wouldn't come!" she growled. "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want anything to do with him anymore?"

_(Background story of Itachi and Sakura, which Sakura titled "History of the Biggest Asshole in the World") _

_The 17 year old girl was so apprehensive about her first year of college that she felt physically ill. She was going to a University over three hours away from her house, and to top it off, she had skipped a grade, so she didn't have any peers to bring along or bond with. However, Sasuke's mom had promised her a present; little did Sakura know that the present was her oldest son._

_Apparently Itachi was going to the same college, and even though she only knew him as her best male friend's brother, his mom (and Sasuke) made him swear to keep her safe, as well as keep her in pleasant company._

_And then, when they had officially met each other for the first time, something irrefutable sparked between them. At first Sakura thought her crush was merely physical (he _was_ a pretty damn attractive man), but as they spent more time together, the beginnings of a pseudo-relationship blossomed. Of course, none of the romanticism was verbalized, but both sides experienced it vividly. _

_Suddenly all their free time was spent together: sitting in the local coffee shop for hours, watching cheesy horror movies, and other little things that weren't necessarily "hot and steamy," but provided a sense of mutual comfort. Admittedly, there had been more than a few occasions where they were inches away from hand-holding or kissing, but the most they had done was fall asleep with each other, lying in front of the TV screen late at night._

_Then one day, he kissed her._

_It was Christmas Eve, and they both had stayed at the college for Winter Break, since they preferred each other's company over any stressful family reunion. They had been drinking hot cocoa and sucking on candy canes for hours, discussing everything from current politics to career aspirations. Sakura's roommate (a sassy blonde named Temari) was gone, leaving them alone in the dorm. Neither commented on that fact._

_He had just given her a present (a set of expensive gloves that she still wears when it is chilly outside), when he stepped a little closer and closed the distance between them._

_It wasn't at all like she expected, since she had imagined him to be soft and sweet, going no further than a chaste peck on the lips. No, in reality, he was dominating and aggressive, the complete opposite of his everyday demeanor. She practically melted into him, feeling him press her tightly against himself, her head buzzing and light. Nothing could ever be so perfect, and to this day, it is still one of her happiest memories. (not that she'd admit that now, due to recent circumstances)_

_He left her immediately after that, and though it confused her, she convinced herself that he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he had to go. Sure, the explanation didn't make very much sense outside of a romance novel, but she clung to that idea tightly._

_But nothing prepared her for his disappearance. _

_The next day, he was nowhere to be found, and even his closest friends didn't know where he was. She tried calling him. She tried visiting his dorm._

_Nothing._

_The next week, she cried daily, missing his comforting words and soft touches. She didn't tell this to anyone, though. After all, who cared about a 17 year old girl's first love? At that point, she realized they had never truly had a relationship. That fact tore her up inside, but she couldn't stop dwelling on it. _

_She'd probably watched every Nicolas Sparks' movie three times that week. (Temari didn't seem to mind. Apparently she was in a rough patch with her 'lazy ass' boyfriend)_

_But a month later, she was finally fed up with feeling sorry for herself. Now, she was filled with anger. Anger for all the things he led her to believe, and all the unspoken promises that had never been realized. Wasn't he the one that was supposed to protect her?_

_She called his mom, trying to mask the desperation in her voice as he asked where he was. Mikoto seemed oblivious to her feelings as she told the news. "Oh, he went to study overseas in Japan for a while. Did you forget?"_

_No. She certainly would have remembered something like that, thankyouverymuch._

_She spent the rest of that year drowning herself in her studies while exploring those milestones she had previously saved for Itachi._

_First make-out session? Done._

_Using the mouth for other things? Perfected._

_Virginity? _

_Well, that one she wasn't as confident about. See, Sasuke had come to the school the following year, reclaiming his spot of 'best male friend.' Naturally, in a sea of hormones and alcohol, they had fooled around, but drunk little Sakura tended to let those moments slip her mind. _

_It was one of those drunk-Sakura moments that she told Sasuke about Itachi, and everything they could have been. She didn't cry, but that was probably because she was wasted out of her mind. That very night, they slept together, though Sakura immediately told him that it didn't mean anything emotionally. (Even though every time she said that, he didn't say anything back)_

_Currently, she was in the midst of Junior year, never having known the joy of a stable relationship. She still refused to have anything to do with Itachi (understandably), but since he seemed to have isolated himself from all contacts, it had been easy._

_Until now, of course._

Much to Sakura's chagrin, Mrs. Uchiha chose that moment to interrupt her flashbacks and squeal her name to the whole lobby.

"SAKURA, DARLING~!" she welcomed excitedly, crushing her in a tight embrace. (When did she even get there?) "I haven't seen you in forever! How is the family? How is your internship with Tsunade? Has Sasuke been nice to you?"

"My parents are doing well. They moved to Florida last month for their retirement," Sakura squeaked out in between the woman's arms. "Tsunade's tough on me, but I've learned a lot. And Sasuke is nice, don't worry."

She let her go to move onto her son, though _he_ only got a short pat. (After all, Mikoto knew her sons hated when she was a doting mother in public) After she drilled them on the rules of the resort (which were basically "don't do anything illegal"), she handed them each a room key, and pulled out a map detailing the location of every Uchiha in the hotel.

"Sasuke, you're in room 234, second floor, of course," she said, Sasuke nodding in understanding.

"…and Sakura.." She raised her head in acknowledgement.

"You're in 207, right next to Itachi in 208," she winked. All color drained from Sakura's face.

"A-any chance we can switch rooms with someone?" she stuttered out instantly.

"No, no," Mikoto dismissed with a wave of her hand. "All of them are completely booked. And all though I _personally_ would not mind you rooming with Sasuke, his father is far too old-fashioned to be okay with that."

Sakura bit her lip. _Fuck_.

"Let's go, Sakura," Sasuke commanded softly, breaking her out of what was sure to be a mental pity-party. "We should get our things unpacked, since we'll be here two nights."

"Yeah, okay," she solemly replied. Apparently Mrs. Uchiha didn't notice the change in mood, so she waved cheerily as they disappeared into the elevator with their heavy suitcases.

_Now I just have to tell Itachi who's in the room across the hall…_Mikoto thought with a devious smile.

* * *

><p>"You're going to have to face him eventually," Sasuke lectured, sitting on the side of Sakura's bed as she unpacked her things. Her back was to him, which gave him the perfect opportunity to silently securitize her clothing choices. Just as she was pulling out a rather skimpy pair of red underwear, she sighed heavily, her shoulders slouched in defeat.<p>

"I'd rather pretend I don't have to," she whined, putting in the underwear on the table where the tv sat, apparently not caring that anyone who walked into the room would see her pile of underclothing. (Not that she intended anyone else to come in but Sasuke, but he still disapproved)

"Well you have to have a plan of action," he stated rather matter-of-factly, glaring at the matching bra she put on top of her pile. "So you don't do something stupid."

"What _is _there to say?" she frowned. "You know, I'm probably overcomplicating things. He probably doesn't want anything to do with me, so he'll leave me alone."

"That's a possibility."

She turned around to glare at him. "You were supposed to say 'Of course not! Everyone loves you, Sakura'"

"Do I look like your friend Ino?" he snorted. "I'm not going to tell you some cheesy self-motivational shit."

"Don't know why I expected you to," she said, rolling her eyes. The last of her clothing and toiletries unpacked, she walked over to sit next to him on the bed. "But you know him best. You're his brother!'

"Sakura. You've asked me this hundreds of times," he growled in annoyance. "I don't. Know. Why. He. Left."

"You're hiding something from me~" she responded playfully, lightening the mood a bit. She dragged her finger down his chest in faux-seduction. "Are you sure you don't know, Sasuke babyface?"

"Stop," he said a little too quickly, pushing her off and looking away. Before she could retaliate (she always did love to tease him), his phone vibrated ferociously in his pocket, making him take it out to glare at the screen.

He paused and read the text.

"Mother says we have to meet her in the hotel's restaurant downstairs for a big 'family dinner.'"

Sakura frowned, smoothing her hair down and adjusting her skintight long-sleeved shirt, which was a nice shade of red that she thought contrasted nicely with her hair. Dark-wash skinny jeans and a pair of black leather riding boots completed her classy-for-Sasuke's-family outfit.

Without wasting any time, Sasuke escorted her quickly into the hallway, not noticing the presence behind them as he closed the door. In fact, Sakura didn't even notice until she felt a sharp slap on her well-toned rear.

She yelped in protest, ready to punch the person who committed such an offensive act, before stopping herself.

"Oh…Shisui. I didn't know it was you," she said dryly, giving the perverted Uchiha a stern look. "But I probably should have guessed."

"Sakura!" the man grinned excitedly, ignoring his cousin glowering at him from her side. "It's always such a pleasure to see you here!"

He then looked at Sasuke, then the closed door with a shocked face. "Were you two…?"

His eyebrows wiggled up-and-down suggestively, making Sakura and Sasuke flush.

"N-no! He was just helping me unpack!" she assured, taking a step away from him for good measure. Sasuke just glared at Shisui more intensely. However, instead of taking the hint that they _clearly_ were not just having sex, he just chuckled lightly and gave them a wink.

"Whatever you say, guys. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret, okay?" he added.

"OKAY so let's go now!" Sakura said (mostly to Sasuke), and grabbed her friend by the arm as she rushed them to the elevator. Both of them failed to notice the other man walking over to Shisui, apparently just coming out of the room across from Sakura's.

They also failed to notice the glare he sent them, specifically at their joined hands, before they disappeared completely behind the closing elevator doors.

* * *

><p>Sakura had planned out dinner perfectly (or at least how she was going to avoid the 'asshole' at said dinner). She squished herself in between Sasuke and the wall, with Mikoto facing her.<p>

Perfect. No room for a _certain _person.

And just when the thought crossed her mind, that exact person walked into the room, effectively stealing her complete attention.

_Daaamn. He definitely got hotter._

_Oh wait. Fuck. No. Don't think like that, goddammit._

He had grown his (soft) inky black hair almost to his (wide) shoulders, wearing a red button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing his (muscular) forearms. She could tell that he had grown a few inches, and his skin had only gotten more smooth and perfect since she last saw him. However, the usual smudgy dark circles he had under his eyes seemed to have darkened, though not completely stealing the attention away from the bottomless depths of his eyes.

Her mouth went dry, but she averted her gaze to the empty plate in front of her.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Oh, Itachi, darling!" she heard Mikoto coo. "Here, take my spot so you can be with your brother and Sakura!"

_Mikoto, you traitor._ Sakura thought, cursing the woman in every language she could think of. _To think that I thought you had my best interest at heart._

"That's very kind, mother," she heard him say in his sinfully gorgeous voice. "I'll take you up on your offer."

She heard him sit down and pull his chair in, so she chose to move her stare to Sasuke, who was too busy glaring at Itachi to notice.

"Hello, Sakura."

Damn it.

She faced the handsome male slowly, forcing herself to stay as emotionless as possible.

"Hello, Itachi," she said coolly, nearly suffocating under the intensity of his stare. Why was he looking at her like that? He made _her_ look like the asshole in this situation!

She quickly moved onto the menu, distracting herself by trying to decide what she would eat that night. Nothing too sloppy, and she probably shouldn't eat garlic because wanted her mouth ready for..

_No! What am I thinking? I am so not thinking about kissing him. No, his lips are the last thing on earth that I want to touch…..I wonder if they're still as soft as last—no! argh! I need to stop this! No matter how attractive he is, this behavior is unacceptable! Stop!_

She was so wrapped up in her little self-talk that she failed to notice his heated gaze roam over her, stopping at her lips. He faintly registered his mother trying to keep an animated conversation with Sasuke, but he was still focused on the beauty directly in front of him. He was surprised to see her here, and more than a little suspicious as to _why_ Sasuke brought her as a "plus one," but nevertheless he enjoyed this opportunity to look at her without any nasty comments flying his way. He did deserve them, after all. (He knew _that _much) Yet here she was, 20 and gorgeous, and perfectly…legal.

Oh god. He promised himself he wouldn't think about the reasons he left. Instead, he should be focusing on how she'd been doing on her own, or—

"You know, Itachi, Sakura's landed herself in a very prestigious medical internship recently," Mikoto broke in, somehow reading his thoughts. (It wasn't very hard, considering he'd been staring at the girl for the past three minutes)

"She's kept a perfect 4.0 GPA, and will be going to Konoha Medical School next year," she added, knowing Sakura had heard them. "Isn't that right next to your graduate school?"

"Hn."

The waiter chose that time to go around the table, taking everyone's orders with a smile. Itachi couldn't help but notice her order.

"We're staying at a 5-star resort, and the first thing you order is macaroni and cheese?" he teased quietly, waiting for her fiery response. Mikoto was talking to someone else, and Sasuke was occupied by Fukagu's conversation, so Sakura was perfectly open to conversation.

She had no escape route.

"I'll eat whatever I damn please," she growled.

"I shouldn't be surprised, though," he added thoughtfully. "It _is _your favorite."

She noticeably softened after that, but he pretty lips still maintained a distinct frown.

"How was Japan?" she asked sarcastically.

"Pleasant. And how was the rest of college?"

"Pleasant."

"And Sasuke?"

She gave him a weird look. "Fine?"

He nodded, only to have her go staring off to the side again. Apparently she decided the conversation was over, so he chose to stare at her for the rest of the meal, barely looking away.

She would never admit it, but she could feel herself start to sweat under the pressure, nervously avoiding looking straight ahead. So she pretended that pasta and cheese were far more delicious than the man in front of her, and occupied herself with trying to get as much conversation out of Sasuke as possible. And once everyone was done, she shot up out of her seat as politely as possible to leave.

"I, uh..want to get to bed early so I can go skiing tomorrow," she managed to get out as an excuse, before bolting away to her room.

* * *

><p>It had been almost 24 hours, and she hadn't encountered the male again, leaving Sakura in a pleasant mood. She actually did go skiing as she said before, so she found herself currently scurrying over to the lift to go up the hill.<p>

Her fatal mistake was not bothering to get a good look at the person that sat next to her.

"Hello, Sakura."

"What the hell!" she half-screamed, almost falling off of the seat that was quickly rising. "Itachi?! What are you doing here?"

"Skiing," he deadpanned. "Isn't that obvious?"

To be honest, he looked more like he was _modeling_ the ski gear than actually using it, since he looked so damn good in just about everything he wore. In comparison, Sakura felt like an eyesore in her dark green snowpants and matching coat. She folded her white-gloved hands in her lap nervously.

"Yeah," she muttered. "But what are you doing _here_?"

"Well, you can't go about avoiding me forever."

Oh hell. He figured out her plan. And she had put quite the bit of effort into it, considering she woke up at 4am to eat breakfast when she was sure no one would be there, spent the next 5 hours with Sasuke in his room watching tv, ordered room service, and hadn't been in the outside world until now. At 5pm.

"Heh heh, why would I be avoiding you~?" she replied nervously, staring at the ground below.

"You've always been a horrible liar. We need to talk."

"ab-about what..?"

"You know."

She gulped, still looking down. All of a sudden, an idea popped into her head. Mentally judging the distance to the ground below (only about 6 feet), she did the only logical thing possible.

She jumped.

In the distance, she heard his startled cry, but she half-skied, half-ran back to the lodge to get back in her room as soon as she could. Several people gave her weird looks as she hurtled past, but she ignored them all, focusing more on deciding which flavor of ice cream she would be giving her attention to when she got back: chocolate or mint.

* * *

><p>After getting back and taking a shower, she actually felt much better, grateful that she had killed another hour. She had one day left before she could leave the place for good, promising herself that no matter how much Sasuke begged, she would never in a million years come to any Uchiha-sponsered event. Ever.<p>

Speaking of Sasuke, she heard a knock at the door, so she quickly wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the steamy bathroom.

"Geez, Sasuke! I'm coming! Just wait a second!" she said loudly before swinging open the door, only to find someone who was _definitely _not Sasuke.

"You'd answer the door like that for my brother?" Itachi growled, eyes roaming her barely-covered body. The flimsy piece of hotel-provided fabric suddenly felt invisible under his scrutiny.

"N-no! I mean yes! I m-mean….GET OUT!" she stammered before attempting to slam the door. However, he had other plans, because he kept it open with his strong grip.

"Are you dating him?" he asked roughly, pushing open the door wider. Sakura, not wanting to stand dripping wet in the middle of the hotel hallway, back-stepped into her room, only to have Itachi follow her ardently.

"No! He just wouldn't care because he doesn't like me like that!" she explained quickly, her hands fumbling around for clothes to put on. After she found some, she bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door. She felt her chest rise and fall rapidly, breath coming out in short intervals.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" she heard him say behind the bathroom door. "I see how he looks at you."

"Why do _you_ care? You haven't even _talked _to me in three damn years!" she protested, sliding on the pajamas she brought with her. As much as she'd love to hide out in the bathroom until he left, she knew he wouldn't until she came out to face him.

"…does he have a key to this room?"

"…no?"

"Good. Now get out of there. You're acting ridiculous," he said calmly.

She did so moments later, opening the door to find him sitting on the foot of her bed with a forlorn expression. Though when he saw her approach, his eyes lit up.

"You want an explanation," he said. At that point, it wasn't even a question.

"Of course," Sakura said, choosing to situate herself on the deskchair next to the bed.

"Okay," he sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. Although she followed the motion with her eyes, she refused to tell herself that his action was attractive in any way, shape, or form. (_But it was_)

"It's your fault I left—"

"Hey!" she interjected harshly. She wanted the truth, but to hear that to her face was a little harsh.

"Let me finish!" he added. "You were 17. I was 18. You were attractive, beautiful, and kind, and I was a hormonal teenager that had a hard time keeping himself put together."

She rolled her eyes. That was _far_ from the truth the way she saw it. But she let him continue.

"Throughout High School, I'd always avoided girls because they distracted from my studies. Even though my mother, as you know, is very accepting and supportive, my father's approval is much harder to win over. Until college, I had no problem spending all my free time studying and participating in extracurriculars, so as you can imagine, when I had a..certain.._distraction_, I didn't know exactly how to compose myself."

"What was your 'distraction'?" she asked skeptically.

"You."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"All of a sudden I had something other than a degree to look forward to, and my life stopped being so centered on grades and performance. I became more _human_, and less…you know.."

"….like an emotionless robot?" Sakura offered. He gave her a stern look, but it soon broke into an amused smile.

"Well, yeah. And even if I didn't tell you, my grades slipped. Not a lot, but my A's turned into B's, and my father definitely noticed. He gave me an ultimatum. Either I had to transfer to a University overseas, or he would quite literally disown me."

Sakura gasped. Sasuke had told her horror stories about his dad, but she had always thought he had been exaggerating.

"I knew that if I told you the real reason, you'd try to convince my father yourself, and I couldn't let you do that because..uh.." He started to flush, and Sakura got worried.

"What? Is something wrong?" she asked carefully, scooting the chair a little closer in the process.

"Because if I wanted to marry you someday, he'd have to approve of you."

Silence.

"_What?_" she gaped out. Had she just been hallucinating?

"I understand that you may hate me now, Sakura, but if you can, I'd like for you to give me another chance"

Aginst her will, her eyes started to tear up, making him think he was doing something wrong. He quickly became flustered, and sat up quickly.

"If you want me to leave, I'll just go now and-"

What stopped him wasn't a slap, or a punch to the face, but something much sweeter.

Her arms wrapped around his torso in a tight embrace, and he could feel her tears heating up the front of his shirt.

"You're a fucking idiot," she mumbled into his chest, sighing in relief.

"I know," he answered, rubbing her back comfortingly. They stood like that for a few seconds before she pulled away abruptly; her eyes were a clear, vivid green once more.

"I really did love you, you asshole," she frowned. He paused, inwardly debating whether he should or shouldn't say what he was about to.

He did anyways.

"I did too."

They looked at each other knowingly.

"It…is Christmastime again," she started. "Even though it _is _three years later."

"Sort of like an anniversary," he agreed quietly. "Though I'll admit, I don't have a present this time."

It was her turn to stare at him heatedly.

"_I do_," she grinned, before pressing their lips together.

She smelled sweet from her body wash, and he smelled like cinnamon, their skin soft and yearning for each other's touch. They fit perfectly together, as if nothing had changed in those past three years. Rather, that since they had spent so much time apart, all they needed to do now was make up for lost time.

And oh, they would. They definitely would.

* * *

><p>Everyone was going to be leaving at noon, so Mikoto made sure to tell everyone to meet for breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, though her two favorite early-birds were nowhere to be found.<p>

"Sasuke, honey. Do you know where Sakura and Itachi are?" Mikoto asked her son, only to see his frown deepen.

"No, mom. You asked me that four minutes ago. I _still _don't know."

"Well I need to make sure they didn't die or something," she gasped out. "I don't want them to—oh! _Oh~_"

Sasuke turned to where Mikoto was looking, only to have the sudden urge to throw himself off of one of the skiing cliffs.

Oh, they found Sakura and Itachi.

_Walking side-by-side and_ _holding hands._

* * *

><p><strong>Ohgodohgod I had to finish this quickly so it's a little rushed but dsglIUWGMBEMyctyvkbdnjg I love writing this pairing, especially since now we know (in the most recent Naruto chapters) that Itachi was a good-guy from the beginning. <strong>

**I had to get this out of my system before I made my MultiSaku into an ItaSaku, but for those that read School Days, don't worry! Itachi's graduating this year so I needed to make sure he got a little Saku time in before he's gone! **

**(Speaking of high school, my first day of second semester is tomorrow. We'll see how **_**that**_** goes..)**

**REVIEW AND STUFF OKAY BYE**


	7. Always Christmas in Holly-wood: SasuSaku

**My best friend hates when I talk or write about SasuSaku, because he's such an asshole. But they **_**are**_** the original pairing, alongside NaruHina. Needless to say, I would be beyond pissed if those pairings do not happen in the end. Kishimoto has spent way too much time building them up if he was just going to end it with NaruSaku. **

**Rant over. I just finished the last of my National Merit Scholarship essay, so I'm ready for some serious fanfiction time. I started reading a suuuuper long SasuSaku to get me in the mood for this, so let's go~!**

**PS: if you want to know what Sakura's dress looks like, google image "Katy Perry USO red dress." (it's exactly that , but without the gloves)**

**This chapter is shamelessly cheesy, and I love it. Please don't hate me for my attempts at making the shinobi world into Hollywood. Hugs and Kisses~**

* * *

><p>"…And here we are at the annual Kage awards, where only the best of the best will be taking home an award this Christmas eve! I'm Sakura Haruno, reporting live from the red carpet!" the stunning woman said animatedly, holding a microphone to her pouty pink lips. She faced the camera confidently, her hair short and professional, her skin smooth and glowing, her body lithe and toned, and her makeup classic and simple. She wore a crimson floor-length gown, a generous slit on the side giving a glimpse at her long legs, and a low sweetheart neckline showcasing her perky breasts. The entire thing was skin-tight until it reached her hips, where it then flowed down nicely until it reached her ankles. Her petite frame was lifted several inches by strapped stilettos, a shade darker than her dress.<p>

She was currently standing directly on the expanse of red carpet, various celebrities strutting in the background, but none of them high-level enough to get a quick interview at the moment. After all, the A-listers all arrived later, since they knew their seats were reserved already inside the giant auditorium where the actual ceremony was taking place. For now, the woman continued with her introduction.

"Most of the categories are practically decided already, since there are the _obvious_ winners," she said assuredly, watching her prompter with such practiced skill that no one watching the channel could tell. "You can pretty much bet the Raikage award is going to action-star Ei, the Tsuchikage to movie veteran Oonoki, and the Kazekage to rising star Gaara…but the category to look out for is the Hokage! Last year, Tsunade won over her Jiraya and Kakashi , but this year, the nominees are much younger. We have Naruto Uzumaki for his work in the blockbuster _Rasengan_, Sasuke Uchiha for the controversial _Chidori_, the surprisingly nominated Kiba Inuzuka for the indie movie _Akamaru_, and Kakashi again, who thrilled us all in _A Thousand Copies_."

Sakura Haruno was a celebrity in her own right, reporting on every big awards ceremony, hosting _Konoha's Next Top Model,_ and being the face of the popular television channel _Kunoichi_. There were also plenty of rumors of her being the next face of the prestigious clothing line _Anbu._ However, she politely declined any movie-contract offers, since she preferred just being herself, not some stereotypical sex-pot in the next crime drama or vampire saga.

However, currently, her attention was stolen by the presence of her favorite blonde.

" and speak of the devil!" she beamed. "Here's nominee Naruto Uzumaki!"

The man addressed rushed over to the girl once he heard his name, coming into the view of the camera. He was dressed in a classic navy suit, but paired it with a bright orange tie that complimented his messy blonde hair. His bright blue eyes danced in delight at seeing Sakura, giving her a tight hug and not caring that she couldn't wrap her arms around him with one hand occupied by her microphone.

"Sakuraaaaa~!" he grinned as he pulled away. "You look so pretty!"

"You too," she giggled lightly. "But how are you feeling about your possible win?"

"I'm going to win, that's all," he announced proudly, standing tall. "I'll make sure to include you in my speech at the end!"

"It's always refreshing to see someone so humble," Sakura sarcastically said to the camera, before facing Naruto once more.

"And how is _Hinata Hyuuga_?" she added slyly.

"I think she's doing good. She couldn't make it here tonight, though," Naruto pouted, oblivious to what Sakura was trying to hint at. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Hey, Sakura! If you want to get some nice interviews in, there's Sasuke-bastard and his cousin!"

Her eye twitched. Up until now, she had pointedly avoided talking to the renowned playboy, infamous for his choices in acting roles and women. However, Naruto had put her in a position that would make her look ridiculous for refusing to talk to the dark-haired man. (She'd yell at him later)

She sighed quietly as he approached, slinking over like a panther stalking his prey. His cousin, the more respectable Shisui Uchiha, followed behind. She smiled towards them, but made sure it was only directed at the wavy haired man, not the one she wanted to ignore.

"Well hello, Uchihas! Enjoying the night?" she said playfully as they were now standing in the camera frame.

"Yes, thanks for asking," Shisui smiled politely, being the only one of the two that did not ogle her breasts immediately. "We're excited to have one of us finally nominated for something."

Naruto left with a whispered _"Bye Sakura!"_

"Well it would have happened for me eventually," Sasuke boasted, and Sakura fought to keep her immaculate smile in place. "Everywhere I go, I have job offers thrown at me left and right."

"Well aren't you so _lucky_," she responded through gritted teeth. "Shisui! I hear that you're working on a nice romantic comedy that will be released in June!"

Shisui lit up, happy to have someone pay attention to him instead of his more well-known cousin. "Well our main female had to quit due to her recent DUI arrest, so we're still looking for a replacement."

"We'd ask you, but I don't think you'd be able to stand kissing this fool," Sasuke made sure to add. "Though _I'd_ be happy to oblige."

"-And Shisui! There's been rumors of you and Itachi taking over your family's clothing line _Sharingan_!"

"Yeah, that's a rumor," he frowned. "We leave all that designing stuff to my Aunt….well…Itachi's mom."

"Shisui isn't as gay as he looks."

"Thank you for your input, Sasuke," Sakura said, inwardly seething. She didn't care that her station-master would scold her for not taking advantage of a potential Sasuke interview, but she found that she'd rather avoid him, and hopefully just the fact he was on screen was enough.

"What's your name?" the man asked condescendingly.

"Sakura Haruno," Shisui answered for her, much to her relief. She was thisclose to shoving the younger Uchiha away. "Graduated from Harvard with a double major in Journalism and Business."

"How did you know that?" she asked. She didn't know that that information was very public.

"Itachi was talking about you the other day," he explained. She didn't miss the way Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that name, and she couldn't help a light blush cross her cheeks at the mention of the man she mayormaynot think is extremely attractive and pleasant to talk to.

"Hey Shisui, let's go take some pictures over there," Sasuke growled, nodding towards the station that all celebrities passed to get in. "We're needed."

"You're….needed? How would you know?" she asked confusedly, glancing towards the camera. The camera-man shrugged.

"Who doesn't need me?" Sasuke smirked at the camera, stepping in front of Sakura in the process. She fumed.

"And now for our commercial break!" she said quickly, letting out a deep sigh when the camera nodded that they were off air for a few minutes. However, she wouldn't use this time to relax much to her annoyance, because she felt two strong arms pull her around.

"What the..?"

"Hey, babe, how'd you like to come with me to the after-parties after this boring thing?"

"You think the Kage awards are boring?" she asked, incredulous.

"Well I'm going to win, so there's no surprise to the whole thing," he said confidently. "Do you want to hold my award later?"

"Personally I think Naruto is going to win," she frowned. "He deserves it."

"It doesn't matter who deserves it, it's a matter of who is the _best_."

"I can't believe this is happening," she muttered mostly to herself, rolling her eyes.

"What hotel are you staying at?"

"What?!"

"What. Hotel. Are you. Staying at?" he articulated slowly, as if she was a stupid child.

"Like hell I'm telling you!"

He then stole her microphone away swiftly, holding it out of reach with a taunting smirk on his face. "Then you won't be getting_ this_ back"

"Give that to me! I need to finish reporting on this!" she exclaimed, lividly. She lunged at him, failing her arms to get the object he held behind him. Without warning, he used his other arm to pull her close, smashing her against his muscled chest and nearly making her stumble in the process.

And apparently the cameraman saw this as a perfect time to go back on air.

"You're on!" he said, and she froze, staring at the camera with wide eyes, suddenly aware of the position she was in.

Like a snake, Sasuke slipped away, giving her back her microphone. He started to walk away.

"See you tonight?" he chuckled. She hissed quietly so was not picked up by the boom mike. But in the end, she got her microphone back, so she could finish the show with her cheeks burning the entire time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

During the cab ride back to her hotel, Sakura felt like she would pass out; she had spent 2 excruciating hours interviewing and commenting on celebrity gossip and expensive dresses.

Who spends $8,000 on a dress? She got hers as a Christmas gift from her friend Ino, who just so happened to be an upcoming designer in Hollywood. Nearly everything Sakura wore was from her, in hopes that it would give Ino some nice publicity.

Her tired mind flashed back to all the celebrities she talked to, from the stoic Sai to the possibly-drunk Tsunade. Porn star Karin that Suigetsu brought as a last-minute date refused to talk to her, and Temari spent at least 5 minutes trying to convince Sakura that Gaara, who stood still with a nervous blush, would be perfect to escort her to the party at the Shukaku house later. (Sakura tried to tell her that she really needed her rest tonight, since she was appearing on a talk show the next morning)

Walking into the hotel, she was met with a few odd stares from the other patrons, since she was still clad in the tight red dress the tv producer made her wear. It had been a compromise—he wanted something tight, but Sakura wanted something looser. He wanted black, she wanted red.

_Fucking Sasori. Making me dress like a slut._

But as she was about to step into the elevator, the clerk caught her attention, rushing over to her.

"M-miss Sakura?" the attentive man stumbled out. "An anonymous gift is to be delivered at 12. We couldn't trace the caller, but is this okay with—"

"Yeah, it's fine," she muttered, her eyes drooping with lack of sleep. "Just drop it off when it comes. I'll probably be in the shower, so you can just put it in the room or something."

He nodded, and went back to the desk as she headed up seven flights.

* * *

><p>She had taken plently of time in the shower (45 minutes, to be exact), stripping off the stubborn mascara and foundation, rubbing a brown-sugar body scrub into her skin, conditioning her hair in the steam, and applying plentiful lotion as soon as she got out. Now, hair nearly dry (one of the beauties of having short hair) and a towel wrapped around her damp body, she opened the bathroom door to go to her suitcase and slip on some nice flannel pajamas.<p>

Too bad a certain someone had other plans.

As soon as she was in the bedroom, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and her mouth dropped. There in his half-naked glory, lay Sasuke Uchiha wearing nothing but a seductive smirk and black boxers that clung loosely to his toned frame.

"Hey babe," he whispered sexily, staring at her with bedroom eyes.

So she did the thing any sane person would. Retreated back into the bathroom with a startled yelp. She leaned against the door with her back, panting for breath and scared out of her mind.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" she yelled so that he could hear her through the door. She felt the doorknob being twisted around, and she cursed herself for not locking it. As the door opened a crack, she pushed it back with all the force she could muster.

"Just come out here, Sa-ku-ra."

"Only if you put on some clothes!"

Pause.

"Okay."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

A few moments later, she heard him say he was done, so she walked out, just to see him lying on the bed again, but thankfully clad in a black v-neck and jeans.

"Are you seduced?" he asked smoothly, failing to pick up on her displeasure.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she responded harshly, clutching on to her towel tighter and rushing over to her suitcase to grab her pajamas and a bra. (like hell was she going bra-less in front of this creep)

"Close your eyes."

He hesitated a bit, but then obliged, not opening them until she said so, when she was fully dressed.

"Now, I'll ask again. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Well, I find you physically attractive," he responded, as if it was the most obvious this in the world. "So I'm giving you permission to have sex with me."

"And what in hell made you thing that breaking into my hotel room in your underwear was the socially acceptable way to go about this?"

"I'm your Christmas present," he chuckled, then stopped once he saw her irritated expression.

"You already started who-knows-how-many rumors with your little stunt during the red carpet show, and now you want to offend me further?"

"It should be a privilege to sleep with me. I don't extend this offer to everyone."

"Well from what I've read in the tabloids, that's far from the truth," she growled. "You're hopeless. All this fame has gone to your head."

"Unfortunately the Hokage went to that blonde idiot, so you're going to have to _comfort_ me, babe," he explained with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure he paid the judges or something."

"Why you little sh-"

A knock on the door interrupted her. "Room service!"

She gave a warning glare to Sasuke before opening the door to reveal a doorman who seemed to be quite excited to be serving the strawberry-blonde girl. He handed her a large box and a bottle of red wine, which she gratefully grabbed from his shaking hands.

"Thanks," she sighed as she closed the door, not even bothering to listen to his stuttering _"you're welcome!"_

Ignoring Sasuke's questioning look, she placed down the warm box so she could unscrew the cap from the wine and take a long swig.

"Classy," he commented.

"Shut the hell up," she hissed, putting down the bottle on the bedside table, and sitting as far away from Sasuke as she could on the bed. She opened the box to reveal a heaping serving of fettuccine alfredo and by removing the fork attached to the side, took a sloppy bite.

"Shouldn't you be on one of those Hollywood starvation diets like all the other celebrities?" he asked curiously.

"Why, are you on one?" she snapped back. "Plus, I'm not a celebrity. I just interview them."

"But you're still on camera."

"So are other newscasters."

"In revealing dresses."

"Does it look like I enjoy them?" she said, poitingly looking down at her flannel pajamas with a playful pattern of little kitties dancing around with big balls of yarn.

"My offer still stands."

"I'm not having sex with anyone tonight, sorry," she said sarcastically, reaching for the remote lying next to the bottle of wine. "I'm watching crime dramas and eating carbohydrates until I pass out from exhaustion."

"Or from drinking that entire bottle," he said, gesturing to the wine. She glared, but turned on the tv to an episode that was playing "Order and Law: Victims are Special Unit," just in time to see a man stabbing his victim with a knife, straddling the woman with a sick smile on his face. She gestured to him.

"See that rapist-murder?" He nodded. "That was you a few minutes ago. I thought I was going to be attacked and molested."

"I am not a rapist-murder," he growled.

"Well first off, you stalked me here..then you decided to strip down and sexually proposition me, and if it wasn't for my scathing response, you would have taken advantage of my virgin body."

"_Virgin?"_

She froze.

"You didn't hear that."

"Oh yes I did," he smirked. "This is turning into a great Christmas."

"Oh come on, no one here celebrates Christmas except for when they give each other ridiculously expensive gifts."

"Got something against getting presents, Scrooge?" he asked, stealing the bottle away a taking a few generous gulps. She snatched it back, drinking more of it. He didn't bother mentioning that they had just had an indirect kiss, but he couldn't help a delighted smirk rise to his handsome features.

"I'd rather get a present made with love than a shitty purse that cost more than my college education."

"Love? Now _that's_ wishful thinking. I thought you were a Harvard graduate? Shouldn't you believe in logic?"

"Just because you're a soulless bastard doesn't mean that love doesn't exist," she said in between bites of fettuccine. He took the fork from her and picked up a heaping forkful to put in his mouth. She swiped it back as soon as it left his lips.

"You really like stealing things, don't you?"

"Ooh. Still bitter about the microphone thing?"

"Yeah. You made me look like a stereotypical fangirl pushing herself on just another hot guy. You nearly ruined my professional image. Do you realize how hard it is to maintain a level of professionalism when I have to deal with spoiled little stars every day? The only way I remain sane is by doing stuff like this," she retorted, gesturing to the tv and her food. She gulped down more of the wine.

"You think I'm hot?"

She nearly choked on the beverage, coughing harshly into arm.

"You are so self-absorbed," she muttered as soon as she regained control of her breathing.

"Better than ignorant. At least _I _can admit to myself how I feel."

She frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Admit it. You want to be a celebrity too."

"No way!" she gaped.

"You _want_ to be spoiled and treated like a goddess and fawned over by movie executives and fans, begged for your autograph, and drowning in money and extravagant gifts."

"I am perfectly happy with where I am, I'll have you know," she protested.

"Well then why were you planning on spending Christmas Eve alone, drinking wine and eating pasta by yourself?"

The silence was heavy, only broken by the detective on the screen declaring _"We've solved the case! The defendant is guilty!"_

"You want to be in my next movie?" he offered. "Give movies a try. You'll see how much you love it."

"Maybe, but not with you," she said quietly.

"Why not?"

"I hate stuck-up bastards like you, who only think about sex and themselves."

"Well I'm not going to lie, I do love sex, but that's not all who I am. That's the stereotype I play in public so that I keep on getting contracts and fans. No one wants a sensitive guy doing action movies," he said, uncharacteristically thoughtful. "You're afraid of me, because I'm seductive and dominating, and you hate how uncomfortable that makes you feel."

"But you like being uncomfortable," he smirked. "Otherwise I wouldn't still be here."

She snapped her head to face the tv screen to hide a blush. Okay, so she was a little afraid of his warm, soothing eyes that made her stomach flutter and temperature rise. If confronted about it, she would blame the wine, but she'd only be lying.

The bottle was empty by now, and the food long gone between the two of them.

"You can stay longer, but no sex," she whispered so softly he could barely hear. "Maybe I…don't want to be alone on Christmas Eve."

* * *

><p>It had only been an episode later into the <em>Order and Law<em> marathon that she had fallen asleep, and Sasuke made sure to slip her under the soft sheets. Reluctantly, he took his place on the adjacent chair instead of lying next to her. Though he may be quite the horny man, he at least had manners. (His mother would be proud)

He watched the rise and fall of her chest underneath the covers, and the soft flush the wine had given her smooth cheeks. Her bare eyelashes brushed her skin, hiding her vividly green eyes from his stare. Normally all the woman he was with refused to take off their makeup around anyone, but she wasn't nervous at the fact that he had seen her face completely uncovered. (Not that it looked bad; he was very pleased to know that she was pretty with or without all that stuff on her face.)

He liked the fact that she was innocent and fiery. Completely self-confident, yet insecure with her inner desires. A sigh left his lips when he realized the direction of his thoughts, because he was unused to thinking of a woman in ways other than how to get them in his bed.

So now, with some free time on his hands, he did what any curious person would do when they wanted to know more about someone.

He google her.

He flipped through pages and pages of her articles and broadcasts, staring at his phone without looking away. He learned a little more about his interesting little flower: she had never dated anyone in the business (Though their were quite the amount of rumors), she had graduated from Harvard just two years ago (Making her 22. Apparently she skipped a few grades as well.), and that she had known Naruto for over ten years. (No wonder why she was so defensive over him)

He sighed again. What was he getting himself into?

As he typed her name into the 'images' search, he noticed one of the 'suggested searches.'

_Sakura Haruno bikini pictures_

He smirked. Might as well know more about her…

* * *

><p>When she woke up the next morning, she was surprised to see him still there, and even more shocked to see that he had pulled out an outfit for her, and packed the rest of her suitcase.<p>

"You need to leave today for your place, right?" he asked, and she nodded. He handed her a coffee, which suspiciously smelled like her usual: a vanilla latte.

"Why are you being nice?" she asked carefully, grabbing the clothing from him and heading towards the bathroom to change. (Not like she'd admit he had a really good taste in clothing. Probably got that from his mom.)

"Why not?"

"I'm still not having sex with you," she said through the door.

"Whatever you say," he chuckled. She stepped out minutes later, looking stunning in a plain white blouse and a black pencil skirt, and slid on a pair of red stilettos. (He was still taller than her, much to his secret delight.)

"Let me walk you to your cab," he offered.

"Okay, sure," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to pretend you're a gentleman."

"And what if I'm not pretending?"

"'Don't lie to yourself'" she quoted, watching him grab her suitcase for her. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own suitcase."

"I know," he smirked, opening the door so they could leave.

It only took a few more minutes to make it to the front desk, drop off the key, and walk outside into the mild Hollywood weather, the streets still bustling despite it being Christmas morning.

"You know, I didn't win the Hokage, but I did win something else last night," he commented off-handedly, gesturing to a cab so the driver could grab the woman's suitcase and put in into the back.

"You are so full of shit," she laughed. "Are you trying to sweet-talk me?"

"Maybe."

"Well you better stop before some nosy tabloid reporter sees us and thinks the wrong thing."

"Why?"

She gave him a weird look. "Isn't it obvious? I think you'd know being a celebrity whose relationship status is constantly in questi-"

Her little rant was cut off by a pair of surprisingly-soft lips covering her own, and she was so shocked, she almost fell over, if it wasn't for the hand that snaked around to her lower back, putting them in a position not unlike the whole microphone-incident from yesterday. And, much to her chagrin, she kissed him back.

After a few beautiful seconds, they pulled away, him smirking and her embarrassed.

"Why did you-"

"While you were sleeping. I took the liberty of putting into your phone the details of a New Year's party that you're going to go with me to. And don't bother canceling, because I already called your manager to cancel any work you had that day."

"You are so self-absorbed," she commented, but by then they both knew the words had no bite behind them.

"Whatever you say," he responded, suddenly remembering that she had to be somewhere, and letting her stumble away into her cab.

"Don't call me, I'll call you," he made sure to add before the car door separated them both.

As he dialed his driver to come pick him up, he smiled a bit to himself, a weird facial expression from the normally dark Uchiha. He sure couldn't wait until New Year's, when he could spend his entire day with her.

_[There's an old superstition that whatever you do on New Year's day, you will do every day for the rest of the year.]_

* * *

><p><strong>Holy shit that turned out a lot longer than I expected. But dialogue takes up a lot of words, and I needed to practice it. But anyways, Happy Sunday, and may your week be exciting (because I know mine won't)!<strong>

**Whatever. I'm spending the rest of the day playing gaiaonline and watching Game of Thrones. Care to join me?**


	8. Hot (Spiked) Cocoa: KakaSaku

**After this chapter, I have 9 mo' chapters left. The order: Gaara, Sai, Neji, Madara, Deidara, Shikamaru, Pein, Shisui, and Shi. If you have any more requests, hit me up! (: **

**PS: I know Christmas ended but I wanted to get at least a chapter or two done**

* * *

><p>Kakashi sighed, trying hard not to shiver in the cold night air. He regretted his choice of outerwear, because his light jacket certainly didn't offer much protection from the weather. Thankfully the scarf he had wrapped around the lower half of his face protected his skin from turning bright red, though he couldn't say the same about his watering eyes.<p>

_This date better be good, _he thought to himself, fantasizing about the "hot babe" Genma wouldn't stop raving about. However, for some reason, his crazy friend decided that the perfect time to set them up was during the holidays, a time that normally people are visiting with their families.

Fortunately, Kakashi didn't have a family, and he didn't have very many close friends either.

Since he spent the majority of his time teaching math at an upscale private High School, he didn't have much free time, and the rest of his time was spent either reading or writing.

He was supposed to meet the woman at an out-of-the-way bar in the middle of the city, right next to Konoha University. It certainly wasn't a club, but it was more of a casual bar, where one could sample different beers and down whiskey like it was water.

By the time he reached the street, he could easily spot the flickering lights of "The Crimson Lounge." It didn't _look_ like an upscale place, but he supposed that Genma wanted them to meet somewhere small and unintimidating.

He walked over to the front door hurriedly, lifting a hand out of his pocket in order to smooth down some of his messy silver hair.

It took a strong push to open the thick wooden door, though it was definitely worth the comforting heat on the other side.

The air smelt of alcohol and cigarettes, and the lights were dim. Only a few other people were in the room, so there wasn't much noise except for the rock music playing from the speakers.

And since there were no "hot babes" in the room at the moment, Kakashi took a seat at the empty bar so he could unbutton his jacket and check the time on his phone.

_7:07pm_

...Maybe she was just running a little late.

Just in case, Kakashi decided that he should probably get some alcohol in his system before his date showed up and realized that she was set up with someone with gray hair and a teaching job.

"Hello?" he called out gruffly, irritated that the bartender was apparently gone. "I need a drink."

"Hold on, I'll be out in a sec!" a feminine voice responded from somewhere behind the bar, making Kakashi curse his luck even more. _I have never had a good experience with a female bartender, _he thought bitterly to himself, checking his phone once more for any new messages or calls. (There were none)

A figure emerged from a door to the side of the bar, carrying several bottles.

"Sorry, we've been going through whiskey like crazy today. I had to get some from the back," the woman explained, putting them in order with the other glassware in front of her. Kakashi glanced up from his phone to get a good look at her, and to be honest he wasn't that surprised.

Her body was thin yet toned, clothed only in a crimson skintight tank top and jeans. When she leaned over, he could see a generous portion of her cleavage, as well as the large "Crimson Lounge" logo on the shirt. Her strawberry-blonde hair barely brushed her shoulders, making her look weirdly professional in a profession that certainly didn't require it.

"So what can I get you?" she asked playfully, a cheerful smile forced onto her pretty face.

However, once she looked at him directly, her pale green eyes narrowed.

"Wait…do I know you?" she asked slowly, her stare intensifying.

"I'll have a bourbon. Straight," Kakashi continued, ignoring her question. After all, the only beautiful women he interacted with were the ones that would sleep with him, and he certainly wasn't very chivalrous about it. The last thing he needed was for some bitter one-night-stand from his past ruining a potentially successful date with a new woman.

The bartender rolled her eyes and sighed, but nevertheless acquiesced to his request, pulling out a glass and pouring the amber liquid into it slowly.

"What's your name?" she asked as she placed the glass in front of him, watching him smell it slightly before taking a swig.

"Kakashi," he muttered out, taking another gulp of the bitter liquid.

The woman's face froze, and he vaguely wondered if there was something wrong with her. What kind of bartender interrogates their customers like this? Certainly not one that gets very many tips.

"…Kakashi Hatake?" she said cautiously, to which he reluctantly nodded. "As in, Kakashi Hatake, math teacher?"

He froze, placing his glass down to take a closer look at the woman in front of him.

Now that she mentioned it, she looked very familiar. Green eyes…strawberry-blonde hair…wait—could it really be—

"Sakura Haruno?" Kakashi gaped out, silently wishing that this was just a big understanding, and that this very attractive woman was in fact _not _an ex-student of his.

"Yeah!" she laughed out, flashing him a bright smile. "Wow, how long has it been? Eight years?"

"…I guess," Kakashi grumbled. "So that means you're-"

"Twenty-three," she assured, though from the look of Kakashi's face, it didn't seem to be what he was asking. "Does that make you feel old?"

"No," he replied. "Is this the profession you dreamed of in High School? Working in a bar?"

She frowned. "Don't be an ass, Kakashi. This is just part-time to make some money in my free time."

"And when did it start being okay to call me by my first name, Miss Haruno?" he shot back.

"Since one: I've already graduated, and two: _you're _the one who walked into my bar," she teased, making him feel a little uncomfortable as to where this conversation was going. Not sure what to do, Kakashi checked his phone once more, only to see that he had no new messages.

Sakura glanced at his irritated expression. "Expecting somebody?"

"Yes," Kakashi admitted. "She should be here any minute."

She nodded slowly, though he did not like the look of pity in her eyes.

"Do you normally schedule your dates during holidays?" she asked slowly, busying herself by cleaning up the counter.

"Why? You interested?" Kakashi retorted immediately before realizing his mistake.

He watched as her cheeks flushed a bright red, nearly dropping the glass she was polishing.

"J-Just making conversation," she stammered out.

He felt like he could hit himself. Why did he think it was okay to start flirting with a former student?

"Well…what have you been up to recently?" he asked cautiously, trying to change the subject.

"I'm in medical school at the moment. Third year," she explained, all traces of her earlier blush gone. "I got my Bachelor's degree a year early."

"Not becoming a math professor like I asked you to?" he joked, looking her over. "You were one of my best students, and you know I don't give out compliments very often."

"Nah…sorry," she smiled. "My passion is science."

"And I'm sure you're gaining valuable experience by mixing drinks and watching people feed their alcoholism," he added, scanning over the room.

She frowned, crossing her arms.

(Kakashi couldn't help but notice how that simple action made her breasts stick out quite wonderfully)

"…and dressing very professionally," he finished, trailing his eyes down her body inconspicuously.

"I don't really get to pick the uniform," she retorted. "But it does get me a lot of tips from old perverts like you."

Kakashi's mind went blank.

_Shit…is this Sakura's way of flirting? Is this happening right now? Is this okay? _

Coming to some sort of moral decision, Kakashi's mind was settled.

"Well it's working," he said simply, watching her cheeks immediately flush all sorts of red. Kakashi wondered what she was thinking. Was it too presumptuous to assume that she was attracted to him? And if she was, did that mean she was back in her Academy years?

He gulped at the thought.

"It doesn't seem like your date is coming," she commented quietly. "It's been an hour."

"Then I guess you'll have to keep me company tonight," Kakashi smirked, enjoying how every time he said something mildly suggestive, she blushed quite adorably.

"My shift ended ten minutes ago," she said slowly, putting the remaining glasses away. Kakashi just then noticed the next bartender waiting to the side, looking at them with a bored expression. "But I could get coffee or something with you."

"Now?" Kakashi asked incredulously. "Do you normally drink caffeine this late?"

"Yeah. Between this job and medical school, I normally don't go to sleep until two," she admitted sheepishly, and he stopped himself from scolding her for how unhealthy that was.

"Well then I guess we have quite a while before your bedtime," he nodded, pulling on his coat and watching her do the same.

Sakura laughed, making him realize two things: One, that his ex-student had grown into quite the tempting woman, and two, that she would probably slap him if she knew half the fantasies he had of her in the past hour.

And as they left the bar, Sakura's smile still stayed bright, falling comfortably in-step with her ex-professor as he pocketed his phone, leaving it alone for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>Around two in the morning, Genma was awakened by a phone call.<p>

Too sleepy to rise out of bed, he listened to the ringer stop, then go to voice mail.

_"Hey, Genma! You were right—things did work out! Thank you so much for setting this up, but it'd probably be best if Kakashi didn't know that you planned this on purpose. Again—thank you thank you thank you! Our next date is planned for next Friday!"_

He smirked to himself, imaging Sakura's excited expression as she recorded that message.

"Kakashi's lucky to have a friend like me," he sighed to himself, returning back to sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow this did not turn out how I originally planned. But I'm just not really that used to writing KakaSaku. I've only read a few fics, and none of them were AU.<strong>

**Oh well. Happy 2014!**


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